Laundry drier



March 27, 192s. 1,664,098 v l R. w. YATg-:s

LAUNDRY DRIER Filed Nov. :5. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fast as possible.

Patented Mar. 27, 1928.

RICHARD W. YATES, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

LAUNDRY Damn.

Application led November 3, 1924. Serial No. 747,495.

The present invention relates to laundry apparatus, and aims to provide an improved drier for laundry equipments, in which a more eilicient and s eedier drying action will be effected upon t e contents of the drier for a given volume of air passed through the machine. i. .Y

Accordingly, I have devised a drier which is adapted to be kept in motion for the proper agitation of the contents of the drying chamber, and provided with means for maintaining the flow of air through restricted passages for feeding and discharging the air at opposite points of the drying chamber, and in such a manner that all the air is obliged to travel across the chamber and in contact with the contents thereof. For embodying the device in practical form, I therefore have produced a drying chan'iherin which the air feeding and discharge conduits are to a certa-in extent formed as a part of the receptacle or drum which includes the drying chamber, and are movable in unison with the receptacle in the agitating of the contents of the drying chamber.

In the preferred form of the apparatus, I employ a rotation cylinder provided with air feeding conduits at one side of the cylinder, and air discharge conduits at the opposite side of the cylinder, and conducting means associated with trunnions of the cylinder for feeding the air thereto and conducting it away from the cylinder.

I further increase the efficiency of drying equipment of this character by adding to the blower device which maintains a forced air supply to the drying chamber, a second fan unit so arranged as to exert a continuous suctional force for withdrawing the air from the air discharge conduits as A further feature of the improved construction is the provision of a jacket shell or housing for completely enclosing the rotary drying cylinder and its air passages or conduits, and mounted for rotation in unison with the cylinder.

With .these general objects in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating one form of construction which I have devised forl embodying the proposed improvements, after which those features and conlbinations deemed to be novel will he particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawings- Figure l is a vertical sectional View illustrating a drier constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line II-ll of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is an end elevation, showing the air discharge end of the drier.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, these show the improved construction as comprising an exterior cylindrical shell 4 surrounding a cylindrical drum 5 which is divided by a set of partit-ion members 6 into a plurality of drying compartments, as illustrated in Figure l. -Each of the opposite ends of the drum 5 and the exterior shell 4: 1s secured to a cylinder head 7, which heads are formed with hollow trunnion projections 8 journaled in hearings 9 formed in the frame standards 10 at the opposite ends of thc machine. Each of the cylinder heads 7 is formed with a set of radial air passages 12 converging to thel center of the corresponding heads and communicating with the hollow trunnion projections 8; the air passages 12 of each of the cylinder heads are comprised within an arc of less than a half circle, and the cylinder heads are secured to the ends of the drum 5 in such a manner that the passages 12 at one cud of the drum project in substantially the opposite .direction from the air passages at the other end of the drum, for reasons hereafter explained.

The outer end of each of the air passages 12 communicates with one end of an air conduit or passage l-l arranged longitudinally of the periphery of the drum 5, the longitudinal air passages thus formed communieating with the interior of the drum 5 by way of air intake openings lo and air discharge openings 15', the latter being slightly larger than the intake openings.

Also extending longitudinally of the drying drum o along opposite sides of the interior thereof is a pair of lifting ribs 16, adapted for alternate lifting engagement with the contents of the drying compartments, these ribs projecting inwardly toward the axis of the cylinder and in a plane which divides the interior of the cylinder or drum 5 into an air receiving portion corresponding to the intake openings 15, and an air discharging portion corresponding to the air outlet openings 15.

One of the hollow trunnions 8 of the cylinder heads 7 coimnunicates with an air supply conduit 18 into which air is forced by means of a blower fan 19 connected with a shaft 20 driven by any suitable form of motor 21 (see Figure 1). The other hollow trunnion 8 communicates with an air dischage conduit 22 leading to a suitable suction fan 23 also operated by the shaft driven by the motor 21.

One ot' the trunnions 8 is also equipped with a suitable gear wheel 25 to which power may be applied from any desired source for the purpose of rotating the drum or cylinder 5.

The usual hinged door 26 is provided for the drum 5, to which access is had by way of a sliding door 27 provided for the outer cylindrical shell 4, for the purpose of loading or unloading the drier compartments, or for inspecting and cleaning the Same as required.

In the operation of the above described construction, after the clothes or materials to be dried are placed in the drying chambers within the drum 5, the latter is rotated by means of power applied to the gear wheel 25, for the purpose of tumbling or agitating the clothes within the drying chambers. The fans 19 and 23 are then operated for producing a movement of air through the drying chambers to take up the moisture from the contents of the same and carry it out through the air discharge passages. This air may be preheated in any suitable manner, for hastening the drying action. The air thus supplied by way of the conduit 18 and air passages 12 and 14 at one end of the drum 5 is discharged through the air intake openings 15 into what has been referred to as the air receiving portion of the drum 5. this feeding of the air being practically uniform through all of the separate compartments formed by the several partitions G. As will be evident by reference to Figure 2, the air is fed transversely or directly across the several drying compartments from the intake openings 15 to the opposite or what has been referred to as the air discharge portion of `the drum 5, where the air is discharged through the openings 15. In this action, the ribs 16 accomplish the double function of not only lifting the contents of the drying compartments alternately as the drum is rotated, but also an air deflecting function by virtue of their forcing the air inwardly toward the axis of the drum and thereby making certain that the air travels through the contents of the compartments and performs its full drying operation before reaching the discharge openings 15. As has already been indicated, the openings 15 for the discharge of the air from the drying compartments arel larger than the air intake openings 15, in order to allow as great freedom as possible in the discharge of the air from the drum 5 in response to the suctional action of the fan 23 transmitted through the passages 22 and other set of cylinder head passages 12. Obviously', the drying operation is greatly speedcd up by the action ot' the suetion fan 23 in pulling the air away from the drying chamber, and notrelying upon the driving force of the blower fan 19 alone.

It is thus apparent that I have provided a practical and efficient machine for carrying out the drying operation 1n commercial equipments, and that the improved apparatus is adapted to greatly increase the capacity oi' such machines for a given volume of air used in the operation, and that the operation may be carried out in a relatively shorter period of time. One of the reasons for this is that the full flow of air is used in effecting the drying action, by causing this air to pass through the several drying compartments in contact with the material therein, and none of the air is wasted by being passed through spaces surrounding the drum or cylinder as is common in certain constructions employing drums of the perforated shell type. All of the various features of constructions described for controlling the movement of the air are especially designed for preventing any waste of the air, and at the same time causing the'air current to follow the most eilicient path for effecting the complete drying action, and this action is speeded up to a high degree by the combined operation of the blower and suction fans acting both to push and pull the air f through the drying chambers. All the while the material Within the drying chambers is being thoroughly tumbled or agitated within the chambers to subject it to the most effective action of the air currents.

In addition to there being no dead air pockets or dead air lines, there is likewise the elimination of all gas pockets or areas such as commonly result in explosions and lires. Another' important feature of the iinproven'icnt is the elimination of the wire mesh material commonly used with driers, which use is attended with the tearing off of buttons and other damage to the goods, as well as the collection of lint. with its tendency to create lire hazards.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of construction, it is to be understood that I expressly reserve the right to make all such changes or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Laundry apparatus comprising a drying chamber provided with air inlet openings and air outlet openings at opposite sides of the chamber, means for imparting motion to the chamber to agitate the contents thereof, and means including intake and discharge conduit passages moving in unison with said chamber and in constant com` munication with said inlet and outlet open ings respectively.

2. Laundry apparatus comprising a drying chamber having its periphery provided with air inlet openings and air outlet openings at opposite sides of the chamber, means for imparting motion to the chamber toagi-` of the cylinder and having intake and dis-` charge openings for maintaing a flow of air across the interior of the cylinder.

4. Laundry apparatus comprising a rotatable cylinder provided with a plurality of.

parallel longitudinal air feed conduits at one side of tlie cylinder and a similar set of air discharge conduits at the opposite side of the cylinder, both sets of conduits having openings communicating with the4 interior of the cylinder, and means for maintaining a continuous flow of air across said cylinder from said feed conduits to said discharge conduits.

5. Laundry apparatus comprlslng a rotatable cylinder provided Iwith a plurality of parallel longitudinal air feed conduits at one side of the cylinder and a similar set of air discharge conduits at theopposite side of the cylinder, both'sets of'conduits-,havi'ng l openings communicating with the interior of the cylinder-,and oppositely arranged longitudinal/lifting ribs projecting into said cylinder between said sets of conduits, and means for maintainingacontinuous flow of air across said cylinder from said feed conduits to said discharge conduits.

6. Laundry apparatus comprising arotary cylinder provided with peripherallongitudinal aircond'uits at opposite s'ides yof the cylinder andv havin intake` and ldischarge openings for maintaining a flowr ofair across the interior of the cylinder, and airfsupply and discharge conduits arranged axially of the cylinder and communicating respectively with said longitudinal conduits at the opposite sides of the cylinder'. p' l 7.v Laundry apparatus comprising a rotary cylinder` providedwith a plurality of* parallel longitudinal air feed conduits atene side of the' cylinder and a similar set of air ldischarge conduits at the opposite-side of the cylinder, both sets of conduits `having openings communicating with the interior of the cylinder, rand oppositely arranged 1ongitudinal liftingff ribs projectinr into said cylinder between"f"said sets of conduits, means for maintaining avv continuous flow yof 'air across said `cylinder from said feed conduits to said dischargev conduits, and anv exterior jacket shell enclosingsaid cylinder and the air conduits and vrotating in unison therewith. f

In witness whereof I hereunto allix -my signature.

RICHARD "W. YATEs. 

